Veterans Day "Appreciation Event & Rally"
Monday, November 12, 2012 | 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Great Hall of Union Station (210 S. Canal)
#53VETS
Fifth Third Bank Chicago announces plans for its annual “Veterans Day of Appreciation” event on Monday, November 12, 2012. The bank will transform the Great Hall of Union Station (Canal & Jackson, Chicago) into a patriotic celebration for those serving in the military.
The event is open to the public and will feature meet and greets with area veterans organizations, ongoing live patriotic musical performances, and an afternoon rally. The day’s schedule is as follows:
· 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Volunteers will join local veterans in collecting last minute donations for educational scholarships that will benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation. Street teams will be out in Chicago and other suburban locations collecting donations. The bank will match all donations received 100 percent, up to $50,000.
· 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Volunteers will assemble 1,000 care packages that will be sent to Illinois troops now serving in Afghanistan. Several of the items contained in the care packages are from Chicago-based companies. This effort was inspired by local veteran group Heart of a Marine Foundation. www.heartofamarine.org The public is invited – and encouraged – to come to the event and visit Appreciation Stations that will be set up where they can write notes of support and appreciation that will go into the soldiers care packages.
· 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Fifth Third Bank will host an “Appreciation Rally,” where local veterans groups will be celebrated and spotlighted. Special guest Rear Admiral David F. Steindl (Great Lakes Naval Base) will join civic and business leaders speaking at the event. Highlights of the rally include:
· The bank will present a check for $100,000 from its month-long fundraising campaign to the Folds of Honor Foundation that will fund scholarships of Chicago-area families of wounded or lost soldiers. www.foldsofhonor.org
· The bank will announce that in partnership with local non-profit, War Dogs Making It Home, it will sponsor a dog named Friday, recently rescued from a local animal shelter, to become trained as a certified service dog for local veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. http://wardogsmakingithome.org/
· Sending off the 1,000 care packages for their journey to Afghanistan. United States Postal Service (USPS) employees, who are veterans themselves, will be on hand to help. Volunteers and event guests will form a human chain that will move all the care packages onto waiting USPS trucks.
“Every single person who lives in the United States benefits from the hard work, commitment and sacrifice of our nation's soldiers," said Robert A. Sullivan, President & CEO, Fifth Third Bank (Chicago). "We're excited to invite the community to join us in demonstrating our gratitude to those who serve in the military through our fundraising campaign and related events."
More information about the Veterans Appreciation campaign and event is available at www.53vets.com
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